THE RING tribute to Joe Frazier – part six

Joe Frazier had already established himself as the best heavyweight in the world not named Muhammad Ali by beating undefeated amateur rival Buster Mathis (KO 11) and top-10 contenders Manuel Ramos (TKO 2) and Oscar Bonavena (W 15) in a productive 1968, but the Philadelphia slugger, who had already gained recognition as the heavyweight champ from the New York State Athletic commission, finally won over RING editor Nat Fleischer with his thrilling seventh-round TKO of hard-punching contender Jerry Quarry in June of 1969.

Fleischer, whose magazine continued to recognize Ali as the champ even after the WBA crowned Jimmy Ellis as its titleholder, said Frazier was destined to win the biggest prize in sports in the cover story to the September issue of THE RING. The Frazier-Quarry fight was THE RING’s Fight of the Year for 1969.